Wolf RPG

Late evening; Midnight
Clear
66°
Forward dated 7/11th; Thread title means "Dancing stars"

Soon came the bright sphere that illuminated it’s dark blanket, and after swarmed in crickets – to hide in their forests of grass and sing their midnight songs. Another one of the girl’s nightmares woke Izu from her sleep in a cold sweat, and not wishing to disturb anyone from their peaceful slumber, she felt no choice but to sneak out of the fen and walk the stress off herself. Everything felt so disturbingly real – like her mind was especially adamant about fucking with her tonight.

Puddles of blood that painted the violet grove of her home during the raid suddenly lit ablaze with fire, and corpses of her kin began to float like spirits from hell to surround her. Whispering, hissing in her ear;

—

“Destined to curse your own name”,

“Life goes on to remind you of your failures”,

“You follow a childish fool’s path.”

“Do you still dream, little girl?”

“It’s only a matter of time…”

—

Then, it stops. The grimacing woman dunked her head violently in the sparkling lake’s water, and the voices finally ceased.

As much as Izumi hated it, it was no new experience for her -- she'd been dealing with terrors like these every now and then since her arrival in the Teekons. Whether or not that was some sort of supernatural sign to scurry the hell up on out of here was any superstitions guess, but the crane clearly wasn't taking any hints to show. She was tired of running anyway. Izu arrived to the Teekons a 2nd time for a reason, right?

Bubbles formed in the water as her aching lungs screamed for air, and at last her crown was pulled from the lake's surface with heavy pants and drenched hairs covering bits of her vision. Though she'd not been done with it yet as the weight of her legs slowly pulled towards its surface. Whatever grass had crushed beneath her dainty paws now became the muddied lake's floors -- and there she stood. Basking in the moonlight, shoulder-deep inside, and hoping the shock of cold water would put her at ease...

Having spent the day trying to navigate the edge of the lakeside, Reyes knows he has a long way to go. He would have it easier if he'd get over his fear of the water. It wasn't the same as the ocean; there was no lingering death-smell from rotting fish or sunbaked plant life. Nobody was going to come around the bend to raid his little encampment among the trees. He wasn't at-risk here. Still, such anxieties kept him from sleeping soundly. He ached to see his family again; he burned with envy for those that were still welcome within the Caldera's claim while he languished over his lack of control.

It wasn't his fault he'd attacked his son. The boy had come out of nowhere — a flash of gold, a body too close — hadn't they taught the children any manners? Granted Caracal was young and excitable at that, but it gave Reyes little clarity. Perhaps now the boy would know better than to race face-first in to others. All that Reyes could think about now, overtired and surprisingly emotional as the stars unfurled in the darkness overhead, was how deeply unfair everything was.

The sound of something splashing in the water drew his attention, in a vague sense. A twist of an ear first. The weary redirect of his eyes. He sat up a little more purposefully and with the slight height advantage, saw a silvering shape by the water. Nobody he knew; he thought.

But on the off-chance they were from the Caldera... He could try and make a good impression. Slowly turn the Redhawks to his side. That was desperation talking but, it was worth a shot. So he rose to his full (mediocre) height and tread the few wolf-lengths closer, hesitating at the last second because he didn't know where to begin.

The stranger had gone further as he'd approached, soaking in the water. Her body was a silver shimmer along the surface, vanishing as it went deeper. When she came up for air Reyes was certain he was imagining things — she was beautiful. Pale and thin, made thinner by the slick of water across her curves; so much like a crescent moon that Reyes thought, surely, this was some sort of trick. A dream, maybe. He was mightily tired.

Izumi could tell that something wasn't quite right.

It was like a feeling that twisted at her gut -- as if there was a presence nearby that she hadn't quite seen yet. It made the dampened fur near her rump rise ever so slowly in fear, and the ink welled ears that sat atop her crown swivel in still. Then she heard it; grass crunching beneath paws, though these steps sounded much heavier -- someone was definitely approaching.

The sloshing of water came to a stop as Izumi's movements did the same, and in one sharp movement, her dark muzzle snapped in the direction of the noise -- the scent -- and the presence. A moon's reflection could only reveal so much; a red mask, and the gleam of honey-glazed eyes staring back at her. The fact that they had attempted to approach her flank without a word was alarming enough, so as soon as they'd made eye contact there was no choice but to confront them.

"You....may I help you?"

Who are you?

Izumi

Reyes (Ghost)

Izumi